Four nonprofits to receive website overhauls as part of Operation Overnight

Geonetric hosts annual charity event Oct. 19-20

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Operation Overnight

The Gazette

Sep 11, 2017 at 7:48 am | Print View

CEDAR RAPIDS — Four local nonprofit organizations will receive a new website during Geonetric’s 2017 Operation Overnight event.

Organization’s selected for this year’s website overhaul program are Matthew 25, House of Hope, Cedar Rapids AniMeals and K9COLA.

The nonprofits were selected from a pool of applications. To qualify, organizations must by based in Linn County. Applicants were asked to share how a new website or digital marketing services would help them accomplish their missions in the community.

Geonetric, which builds websites and provides digital marketing services for healthcare clients, launched Operation Overnight in 2012. During the event, Geonetric developers, designers, writers and strategists set aside two days to deliver websites and digital marketing services to local nonprofits free of charge.

To date, Operation Overnight has built and launched websites for 26 area nonprofits.

The sixth annual Operation Overnight begins at 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 19 and the new websites will be unveiled during a reveal party at noon on Oct. 20 in the cafe at Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids.

About the recipients

Matthew 25 began in 2006 to help strengthen and elevate neighborhoods on the west side of Cedar Rapids. The organization continues to help transform neighborhoods through three tools: food, housing and education.

“As Matthew 25 evolves and continues to grow, we want our web presence to showcase that,” said Eden Youngberg, development and communications coordinator for the organization. “With a new facelift and fresh content, we can convey the impactful programs we offer. We are so excited to have a more user-friendly and active site that will allow people to sign up for Open Mic Nights or Food Camps, as well as check out our Tool Library inventory and sign up for upcoming events on the urban farm.”

At House of Hope, officials encourage, equip and empower women to live fully through classes, community, housing and therapy.

“We are so excited. Tears of joy,” said Jessie Lowe, in marketing and communications at House of Hope. “We cannot wait to have a website serving Corridor women well and helping us to offer services to the public in an easier and more functional way.”

Cedar Rapids AniMeals is operated entirely by volunteers who provide food for the pets of Cedar Rapids elderly, disabled and others in need — a “Meals on Wheels” program for pets.

“Cedar Rapids AniMeals is beyond excited for this opportunity,” said Heidi Karr, president of Cedar Rapids AniMeals. “We first caught wind of Operation Overnight in 2015 and have been applying for it ever since. To be selected for 2017 was a huge surprise and we couldn’t be more grateful. A better Cedar Rapids AniMeals website will help serve our community better and everyone will benefit.”

K9COLA — K9 Citizens for Off-Leash Areas — is a volunteer group that supports the development of off-leash areas in the Cedar Rapids area. The organization provides the community with educational information about off-leash areas, raises money for park development projects and supports ongoing park maintenance.

“We are honored to be a recipient of Operation Overnight,” said Dave Paris, the organization’s chairman. “K9COLA has been in need of a website redesign for quite some time, and a new website will afford us greater outreach and interaction with our dog-loving community.”

For more information on Operation Overnight, including links to last year’s winning sites and a list of sponsors, go to operationovernight.com.